Tropical plants are very popular among indoor gardeners. There are various ways to identify these elegant indoor plants but one of the most popular ways is notice to their leaves. Hence in this article, I will discuss the tropical house plant identification by leaf and provide you with a chart and images. Let’s get going.
In the following chart (table) you can find a list of the most famous tropical house plants with their appearance characteristics that help you to identify them easily.
Tropical houseplant | Leaf Shape and Description | Leaf Color | Leaves Size | |
1 | Monstera deliciosa | Large, heart-shaped leaves with unique splits and holes. | Dark green | large |
2 | Ficus elastica | Large, elliptical leaves with a glossy surface. | Dark green (variegated patterns) | Large to very large |
3 | Epipremnum aureum | Heart-shaped, waxy leaves in various colours, including green, golden-yellow, or variegated. | Green, golden-yellow, variegated | Moderate (2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) in width) |
4 | Dracaena marginata | Long, slender leaves with a red or burgundy edge. | Dark green | Moderate to large (2 to 3 feet (60 to 90 cm) in length) |
5 | Calathea spp. | Strikingly patterned leaves with various shapes, including round, oval, or elongated. | Various colours and patterns | Moderate (a few inches to around a foot (7 to 30 cm) in length) |
6 | Zamioculcas zamiifolia | Smooth, dark green, glossy, lance-shaped leaves on upright stems. | Dark green | Moderate (6 inches to several feet (15 to 90 cm) in height) |
7 | Sansevieria trifasciata | Long, upright, sword-shaped leaves with variegation. | Dark green, light green bands | Moderate to tall |
8 | Alocasia spp. | Large, heart-shaped, or arrowhead-shaped leaves with prominent veins. | Various colours, including green, purple, variegated | Large to very large |
9 | Philodendron spp. | Various leaf shapes, including heart-shaped or deeply lobed. | Green, shades of red or pink | Moderate to large |
10 | Spathiphyllum spp. | Glossy, lance-shaped leaves with a prominent central vein. | Dark green | Moderate (6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) long) |
11 | Chamaedorea elegans | Pinnate, feather-like leaves, typically green. | Green | Moderate (8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm) in length) |
12 | Syngonium podophyllum | Arrowhead-shaped leaves in various colours. | Various colours, including green, pink, white | Young plants have small leaves (a few inches) and mature plants have large leaves (up to a foot (30 cm) or more) |
13 | Hoya spp. | Thick, waxy leaves, with various shapes depending on the species. | Varies with species | Moderate (around 6 inches (5 to 15 cm) in length) |
14 | Anthurium andraeanum | Heart-shaped, glossy leaves; the main attraction is the colourful spathe. | Dark green | Moderate (6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 cm) long) |
15 | Maranta leuconeura | Oval-shaped leaves with prominent red veins. | Various shades of green, red | Small to moderate (4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) in length) |
16 | Epiphyllum spp. | Reduced leaves; focus on flat stems that serve as the primary photosynthetic organ. It has large, showy flowers. | Varies with species | Reduced: the leaves are reduced and its flat stem is assumed to be leaves. |
17 | Begonia spp. | Various leaf shapes, including rounded, asymmetrical, or lobed. | Various colours, including green, red, pink, silver | Varies (in various Begonia species, ranging from small and delicate to large and showy) |
18 | Tradescantia spp. | Sword-shaped leaves with variations in colour, including green, purple, or variegated. | Various colours, including green, purple, variegated | Moderate) 3 to 6 inches 19(8 to 15 cm) in length) |
19 | Fittonia spp. | Small, oval leaves with intricate vein patterns; and various colours. | Various colours, including green, red, white | Small (1 to 4 inches (2.5 to 10 cm) in length) |
20 | Aeschynanthus spp. | Oval or lance-shaped leaves; focus on tubular, colourful flowers. | Varies with species | Moderate
(2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) in length) |
In this part, I provide you with the images and names of the above indoor plants. About your tropical house plant identification by leaf, it will help.
Scientific name: Monstera deliciosa
Other common manes: Swiss Cheese Vine
This tropical houseplant can be identified by its Large, heart-shaped leaves with distinctive splits and holes. It is also dark green coloured
Scientific name: Ficus elastica
Other common manes: Rubber Tree
You can identify this common tropical indoor plant with its Large, glossy, elliptical leaves. The leaves are typically dark green, but variegated varieties may have patterns of cream or white.
Scientific name: Epipremnum aureum
Other common manes: Golden Pothos, Money Plant
This is a tropical houseplant with heart-shaped leaves and a waxy texture. You can find them in varied colors, including green, golden-yellow, or variegated.
Scientific name: Dracaena marginata
Other common manes: Red-Edged Dracaena, Madagascar Dragon Tree
This tropical house plant can be identified by its long, slender leaves that have a red or burgundy edge. This plant Can reach various heights depending on the variety.
Scientific name: Calathea spp.
Other common manes: Peacock Plant, Cathedral Windows, Calathea
One of the common indoor plants with various shapes, often with striking patterns and colours. Some have round or oval leaves, while others are more elongated.
Scientific name: Zamioculcas zamiifolia
Other common manes: ZZ, Zanzibar Gem
Identifying this tropical house plant is easy due to its smooth, dark green, glossy leaves that are typically lance-shaped and grow on upright stems.
Scientific name: Sansevieria trifasciata
Other common manes: Mother-in-law’s Tongue, Snake Tongue Plant
One of the most common indoor tropical plants with long, upright leaves that are sword-shaped. The leaves are dark green with variegated patterns.
Scientific name: Alocasia spp.
Other common manes: Alocasia, African Mask Plant
If you want a large tropical houseplant, the Elephant ear can be perfect with its large, heart-shaped, or arrowhead-shaped leaves with prominent veins. You find it in various colours, including green, purple, or variegated. Very beautiful!
Scientific name: Philodendron spp.
Other common manes: Heartleaf Philodendron, Split-Leaf Philodendron
It’s a tropical indoor vine with heart-shaped leaves that in some species are deeply lobed. The leaf’s colours range from green to various shades of red or pink.
Scientific name: Spathiphyllum spp.
Other common manes: White Sail Plant
Peace lily is more famous due to its white flowers but if you are interested in identifying this tropical houseplant with leaves, it has glossy, lance-shaped leaves that often have a prominent central vein. Dark green in colour.
Scientific name: Chamaedorea elegans
Other common manes: Neanthe Bella Palm, Good Luck Palm
One of the popular tropical palms then can purify the air too. you can identify it by its leaves. This plant has pinnate, feather-like leaves that are typically green. Compact in size. if you are interested to know more about houseplant palms or palm-like plants and their identification, I discussed them in my previous post.
Scientific name: Syngonium podophyllum
Other common manes: Arrowhead Vine, Goosefoot Plant
Arrowhead-shaped leaves with a variety of colours and patterns, including green, pink, and white.
Scientific name: Hoya spp.
Other common manes: Wax Flower, Wax Plant
An indoor vine with thick, waxy leaves that may be oval or heart-shaped. You can find them in varied colours and patterns. if you are interested in identifying the house plant vines, read my previous post.
Scientific name: Anthurium andraeanum
Other common manes: Laceleaf, Painted Tongue
One of the tropical house plants with heart-shaped, glossy leaves. The focus is often on the distinctive, colourful spathes rather than the leaves.
Scientific name: Maranta leuconeura
Other common manes: Red Vein Prayer Plant
Very beautiful houseplant with oval-shaped leaves and red veins. The leaves fold upward in the evening.
Scientific name: Epiphyllum spp.
Other common manes: Orchid Cactus, Queen of the Night
This plant is also known as Queen of the Night. It is a flowering houseplant succulent with flat, succulent-like stems with large, showy flowers. The focus is more on the flowers than the leaves.
Scientific name: Begonia spp.
Other common manes: Angel Wing Begonia, Rex Begonia
Begonia has various species with varied leaf shapes, including rounded, asymmetrical, or lobed. These popular indoor plants have colors ranging from green to various shades of red, pink, or silver.
Scientific name: Tradescantia spp.
Other common manes: Inch Plant, Wandering Jew
If you are searching to find purple houseplant vines, you can find the best ones in Tradescantia. These tropical indoor plants have sword-shaped leaves, often with a central stripe. The leaves are varied colours, including green, purple, or variegated.
Scientific name: Fittonia spp.
Other common manes: Mosaic Plant, Nerve Plant
It has small, oval leaves with intricate patterns of veins that are varied colours, including green, red, and white. The above picture makes this tropical houseplant identification for you.
Scientific name: Aeschynanthus spp.
Other common manes: Lipstick Vine, Red Basket Vine
While the focus is often on the colourful tubular flowers rather than the leaves, you can identify this tropical house plant with its oval or lance-shaped leaves that have a glossy texture.
I tried to help you with tropical house plant identification by leaf. I provided you with images of 20 common tropical indoor plants and a chart (table) that helped you to identify your intended plant easily.
What is your popular tropical houseplant? did you find it in the above list? What was its name? please share your idea with our readers below this page.
Hi, I’m Elaheh. My Academic major is plant protection, and houseplants are my expertise. As a houseplant lover, my house is full of indoor plants and it is my passion to take care of them. Hence, I’m here to share my knowledge and experience about growing healthy houseplants. I am also a plant protection advisor, so feel free to ask me any questions you may have.